


single hot sexy elf wants to kill slavers in your area

by ushauz



Series: the adults you are looking for are in another caravan [2]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Humor, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:53:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27566305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ushauz/pseuds/ushauz
Summary: It was inevitable that Anders would at some point show up in Fenris' life again.In hindsight, hoping Anders would not know about the hundreds of freed mages was too much to ask for.
Relationships: Anders/Fenris (Dragon Age), Anders/Fenris/Justice (Dragon Age)
Series: the adults you are looking for are in another caravan [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2014930
Comments: 31
Kudos: 150





	single hot sexy elf wants to kill slavers in your area

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheThirdAmell](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheThirdAmell/gifts).



> I got a request from TheThirdAmell to make a sequel to the adults you are looking for are in another caravan, and to possibly make it (just)Fenders.

Anders was laughing at him.

Granted, Anders was in a cage in a slaver caravan (alone, there were no others), but there he was, laughing hysterically. This confused the slavers, and annoyed Fenris, because this could only mean that Anders _knew._

“Why are you here?” Fenris asked, casually decapitating a man.

“What, I can’t say hi?” Anders asked, breaking through his bonds like paper. Of course he wasn’t _really_ caught. Fenris ignored the flicker of relief he felt. “I mean you don’t visit, you don’t write, you actively avoid my routes- how else was I supposed to pop in on you?”

There was a lot of yelling from the slavers, but only for a short while, because soon they were all dead, or close enough. Fenris double-checked, but Anders really had been the only ‘captive’.

Which meant he was alone with Anders.

“So, my good fellow trusted mage ally-” Anders began, grinning wider than that time he beat Isabela at cards.

“No,” Fenris said.

Anders held up his hands. “I’m just saying what the mage underground has told me. Did you know you are more liked there than I am? That’s great, isn’t it? I just knew you had it in you.”

He wiped away a fake tear from his eye. Fenris glared at him.

“This is all your fault,” Fenris said, because it was true. “If mages weren’t running around everywhere getting caught by slavers, I wouldn’t have saved them.”

“Funny ole world, ain’t it?”

Fenris breathed out through his nose, steadying himself. It was a cool day, with only the sounds of a light breeze and the gurgling of a dying man.

“Why are you here?” Fenris asked again.

“Well I considered visiting Varric, but he’s still liable to shoot me,” Anders said.

Fenris grunted, because Anders wasn’t exactly wrong.

“And he’s with the Inquisition, whatever they might be doing these days” Anders continued. “So, just don’t really think it’s a smart move showing up there. Aveline and Merrill are still back in Kirkwall, which, probably shouldn’t visit there either, Isabela is on the seas and thus hard to reach, and Sebastian is more likely to shoot me than Varric is! You were the only one I could reach.”

“You are lying,” Fenris said, because Anders had a plethora of tells, and years later Fenris could still easily read the man.

“Yeah, I am,” Anders said. “So should we clean up the bodies or what? Seems unhygienic to just leave them laying around in the road.”

—

After divesting the dead of their valuables, Fenris took stock of Anders.

Anders was- well, was Anders. Getting caught by slavers to see Fenris was something ‘funny’, and thus it was likely Anders wasn’t consumed with melancholy. Instead he was consumed by terrible ideas. See: getting caught by the slaver caravan Fenris had been tracking.

(And how had Anders known it was that caravan? He likely didn’t. Which- no he had to have gotten it wrong a few times already and just slaughtered the slavers himself when Fenris didn’t show up.)

Most of Anders’ more extreme moments came when he was in such moods.

Not the Chantry explosion. That had happened when he had been filled with melancholy. Fenris had almost been _concerned_ until the explosion happened, and he’d never fully forgiven Anders for making him that concerned and then pulling a move like that.

At the time, Fenris had logically been more upset over Anders forcing extreme measures upon populations that hadn’t asked for it, and for forcing mage freedom on everyone. Nowadays—for reasons absolutely unrelated to dozens upon dozens upon dozens of mages all feeling safe confiding in Fenris everything that the Circle had done to them, which surely was the Maker just laughing at Fenris because the Maker had the worst sense of humor—he was more upset about what that had meant to their own group.

They’d split for safety, and then Fenris didn’t get to see his friends again. They wrote letters when they could, but only just recently had that become a more safe activity to engage in.

Not that Fenris hadn’t made a good life for himself after Kirkwall, but he, well, missed everyone.

Yes, even _Anders,_ not that he would admit as much to the man in front of him. Even if it was Anders’ fault. (Anders hadn’t benefitted anymore than he had.)

He, simply put, was lonely. He’d been alone for five years now, and that was a long time to hunt slavers by oneself.

Lonely enough he was letting Anders stay around and make a nuisance of himself.

“I thought you would be celebrating somewhere,” Fenris finally said. “The Divine proclaimed mages are all free.”

This hadn’t stopped slavers from catching Southern mages. A decrease, yes, but mage slaves were valuable, and when they weren’t in Circles they were still easier to gain access to in the South.

“I did,” Anders said. “For three whole days straight. It was- I know it’s probably not to you, but it was wonderful. Everything we had hoped for.”

“I thought you’d be aiding with whatever comes next,” Fenris said dryly. “Surely your plan wasn’t to just blast open the doors and hope everyone figures it out.”

“No my good fellow mage ally,” Anders said.

Fenris closed his eyes. Reacting further would just encourage Anders.

“Other mages are working on it,” Anders continued. “Fiona, hugely, but she’s got a large support staff. They are in the process of setting up a few different educational systems so mages can still learn but without, you know, the Templars and loss of rights and Tranquility and never getting to see your family again, and so forth. It’s a work in progress. So far the main three methods are a college system—the funding is still a work in progress but the surviving Lucrosians are having a field day for finally being useful—the Mage Collective for reaching more rural areas, and then lastly official tutors for every noble who is too good to send their kid to rub elbows with other people. They are hoping multiple educational systems will fill in a lot of the gaps the Circles had, aside from just not perpetuating vast amounts of abuse on various people. All of this is just fascinating, I know. I can talk on further if you like?”

“No, thank you,” Fenris said curtly.

“Whatever you want,” Anders said, leaning against the caravan he’d been in.

“And they don’t want you around,” Fenris guessed.

“They don’t want me around,” Anders agreed. “Some of them were politer about it than others, that it would just be easier for community healing and such if I wasn’t there.”

“Didn’t you storm two other Circles single-handedly to stop Annulments?” Fenris asked.

At least some of the mages he had saved had gossiped about such things.

“Oh yeah,” Anders said. “Still not a fan favorite right now though. And that’s fine! I mean we- this is what I was going for from the start. Mage freedom. And now it’s happened. Woo!”

Something about what he said sounded off in some way. Fenris raised an eyebrow.

“Fiona said I should take a vacation, and just relax for once in my life,” Anders said. “And I did that. Had myself a nice celebration, relaxed, smelled the flowers. And after, I thought I could check up on a friend.”

“The one who disagreed with your entire philosophy and life’s work?”

“See you say that like you aren’t a fellow do-gooder of mage rights,” Anders said. “So what’s your plans? What are you doing next?”

“Killing slavers,” Fenris said dryly.

“Sounds great,” Anders said. “I can help.”

—

Anders did not leave the next morning, and after Fenris determined no, he would never, ever in his entire life hear the end of it, they started talking about other things. What they had been up to. Hawke’s strange luck in surviving falling into the Fade. Varric’s latest serials.

Yes, Fenris was still wanted by Tevinter. Even more now that he kept killing slavers.

“They call me the Blue Wraith,” Fenris said with a slight smile tugging at his lips. “They fear me for my habit of killing mages.”

“Mhm,” Anders said. “Oooh scary. Okay but really do you have a reputation for just taking out slaver patrols, or did you storm a magister’s estate or something?”

“Not yet,” Fenris said. “That’s far riskier. And-”

And if he got injured, he had to heal now the old-fashioned way, which took time. He initially had been used to Anders’ presence and magical healing, and then had gotten used to his lack of presence.

And yet. Here he was again.

“And I haven’t found the right time for it,” Fenris finished.

Anders nodded.

“You sound enthusiastic,” Fenris said.

“Slavers should die,” Anders said. “That’s easy.”

There was something more to that statement, but of what Fenris couldn’t initially puzzle out.

—

Anders didn’t leave that week. Or the next week, even though between finding caravans Fenris’ thrilling life was ‘following up on leads and rumors’ and ‘waiting in position to ambush people’. The third week, he did in fact help Fenris take out another patrol. Not that Fenris needed his help, but it was easier with him there, and there was something akin to relief.

It wasn’t that Fenris couldn’t manage on his own; he’d held for years, and proved himself capable of many things. Of defeating slavers. Of making decisions for himself. Of being his own person.

Still, Anders was an abomination healer, and that meant that Fenris didn’t have to worry about him, and he could worry less if his own self got injured, _and_ in case any would-be slaves were injured, there was now someone with the skills to attend to that.

That said, Anders had spent a suspicious amount of time just watching Fenris kill slavers with a weird expression on his face. Not a bad one, or a concerning one, just one Fenris couldn’t quite place. He had almost looked-

Fenris shook his head and turned his attention back to the several rescuees. “Do you know the way back?”

“Yeah. And thanks for the supplies,” a woman said, clutching the bag to her chest. Fenris usually left most of the loot to the victims, as some compensation for the horrors they had gone through, with enough left for him to get by. Her eyes were reddened, but there was steel in her spine. “Thank you so much.”

“You are welcome,” Fenris said. “Try not to get caught again.”

There was a look to Anders’ eyes as this was going on. He’d been unusually quiet. Normally in such situations he went into his designated healer mode, which wasn’t unwanted. He had a way with people like that. Less of a way outside of that specific mode.

They made camp later. The fire crackled around them, and Anders munched happily on an apple. And somehow, that’s when Fenris figured it out.

“You,” Fenris said half-accusingly, “are on vacation.”

“What?” Anders asked in a very suspicious voice.

“This is vacation for you. Your d- spirit. Whatever he may be. Justice.”

Anders toyed with the apple in his hand. “Okay, well, _maybe,_ but how did you figure it out?”

Fenris gave Anders a look.

“Maybe I was lonely and really did want to see and laugh at an old friend,” Anders said. And Fenris reflected, there was truth in that. Aside from what sounded like brief moments with other mages, Anders too had been alone.

And even for Anders—perhaps especially for Anders considering what Fenris knew of Anders’ past—Fenris wished it had been otherwise. Loneliness was consuming.

“Believe it or not, I did actually want to see you,” Anders continued. “I know that sounds weird and all, but- and then you kept me around. So really this is on you. It’s your fault I’m here.”

Fenris wasn’t sure if either of them were willing to admit just how damn lonely they’d been. So instead he said, “I’ve already seen you at your worst. Many of your worsts. In many different ways. I’ve tolerated you then.”

That sounded more… intimate than he was intending.

Anders gave him a look like he heard the unintended intimacy in there. But it was true, Fenris realized. There was almost a strange comfort about it. He’d seen Anders through the worst moments for Anders; and despite it all, Fenris was still comfortable having the man around.

Fenris couldn’t say the same was true in reverse; his worse moments had been the things he’d done under Danarius’ command. Those Anders had never witnessed, for which Fenris was grateful.

“What is your logic?” Fenris asked. “I’m curious how killing people with someone who disagrees with your views counts as a vacation.”

Anders gave a deep sigh. “I stand by everything I’ve done. But. That doesn’t mean it was easy, or uncomplicated. It was very complicated, actually. Extremely so. And every move I made had nasty repercussions. You rescue a mage, then other mages are beaten because of that mage’s escape. You kill a Templar who was making people Tranquil illegally, and then more mages are made Tranquil because of it.”

“You try to save a Circle and thus blow up a Chantry and force mages to fight for their lives,” Fenris pointed out.

“Exactly,” Anders said. “I knew, okay. I knew people were going to die. But more people were going to die if I didn’t do something, and that time it would be behind closed doors. And I was there. I told Meredith it was me. I did it. She could have just killed me and left everyone alive, but she didn’t. She went to kill all the other mages, because my guilt didn’t matter. What one mage does and what another mage does might as well be the same thing. So many people died to get this victory, and the work’s still not over. Fiona told me to take a break, but- I tried that, actually. Stopped and smelled the roses. Which was nice! They’ve got a good smell. Kinda sharp. Did end up bleeding, and then my neighbor thought I was a blood mage, but that’s beside the point. I lasted for maybe a week tops, and then I felt like I was going to go mad with the need to _do_ something.”

“And killing slavers is easy,” Fenris concluded.

“Slavers are evil,” Anders said with such strength in those beliefs. “No matter the reason, there is never any excuse. There’s no huge repercussions, no moral quandaries; they are evil, and I kill them, and then the world’s a better place.”

“I can agree to that,” Fenris said. “Obviously. As that has been my life the past five years.”

Anders gave him a small smile. “Yeah, bet you can. I know it’s not the most glamorous lifestyle, but you’ve done real good with yourself after everything. You could have just hid somewhere, but you decided to risk getting caught again to help others. It’s noble of you.”

There was a danger in that smile. Because Anders himself, at times, not always but at times, might actually enjoy what most people would consider to be a vacation.

The one who wouldn’t was Justice. This was his vacation. Which meant he, too, was talking, and giving Fenris that smile.

It wasn’t like at times Fenris hadn’t had _thoughts_ between arguing with Anders. He wasn’t hard on the eyes. He was much easier on the eyes now when not covered in rat shit. Which, coincidentally, made Anders smell far better and thus less unappealing. He could, sometimes, have a sense of humor, which Fenris appreciated. And as sharp as his tongue could be at times, he was at least gracious at losing in cards.

More often than not, Fenris did enjoy his company.

Anders also had enough things that had happened to him that it allowed Fenris the illusion of normalcy. It wasn’t the same as with Aveline, where she’d look at him with always the slightest hint of disbelief, over all of the events in Fenris’ past. It made him feel uncomfortable.

He matched Anders, and that felt strangely pleasant. It shouldn’t, but it made Fenris feel a strange comfort. That he wasn’t the only, well, _victim_ out of the group.

The problem was, and always had been, that it wouldn’t be _just_ Anders. Perhaps someone else could find a way to have it just be Anders. But with Fenris, part of the bonding, part of the thing he genuinely enjoyed with Anders came over killing slavers. And thus, it wasn’t just Anders he was bonding with—though the past seven years in Kirkwall had shown that Anders himself also didn’t like slavers—it was also Justice.

And Fenris liked that part of the bonding. It felt right. It felt like _vindication._ He’d made it his life’s work, and that was a change from in Kirkwall when he had just wanted to stay safe and keep his head low. But after Danarius had died, it had given him a strange confidence. He’d killed a _magister._ With his own hands. Not Hawke for Fenris, _Fenris_ had. And Fenris could again.

There was no way for him to interact in such a matter with Anders without also then interacting with Justice. Who, currently, wanted to kill slavers.

He’d seen the worst of Justice as well.

And yet.

Justice could be blind in some areas. He, or Anders, or them both—Fenris had a hard time figuring out which was which—had believed entirely in the cause of mages. That had been dangerous. But if he believed with that fervency that he did in mage rights in that slavers were evil and should die-

Well, it was harder to see the dangers in that.

Comforting, almost. That by their nature, they would be overcome in their belief and thus near immune to any temptation. Not completely, as Fenris’ own past experiences made him wary to say anyone was completely immune to anything (honestly, he’d been willing to take up with a Pride demon), but still. Safer than almost anyone else in Thedas.

They could have gone anywhere to hunt slavers, but they’d gone specifically to _him._ That couldn’t have been easy, tracking down his position in Thedas. Which meant, despite everything, they too still viewed him as a friend, even if part of that was the desire to poke at him. Still valued a close connection with him.

Fenris couldn’t blame everything he felt entirely on the sheer loneliness he had been feeling. And he knew from past experience, and perhaps it _was_ because he wasn’t just Anders, that Anders had enough personality to fill a room. If he stayed-

“I would not be adverse if you continued to linger,” Fenris said slowly. “Perhaps with a companion, I could finally find a way to raid an estate on the border, free the slaves there. We could accomplish more together than we could apart.”

Anders, for some reason, blushed, and in that moment Fenris decided he was going to get Anders or Justice or whichever to blush like that again.

**Author's Note:**

> Three years later, Fenris would find out through a rescued slave who totally wasn’t a spirit, honest, that what Fenris had said that day was, for Justice spirits, the equivalent of a marriage proposal. When Fenris asked Justice about this, he declined to comment, and proceeded to walk through a wall leaving a very large hole.
> 
> They would proceed to get married three weeks later on Isabela’s ship while fighting off the forces of a very angry magister. It was extremely romantic.


End file.
